Episode 2 pretty much picks up from the first -- that is, Natsume has a conversation with Matoba, then manages to escape with the help of one of the captured monkey-masked youkai. Meanwhile, Natsume's youkai friends, including the awesome Hinoe and the equally awesome Misuzu, hear about their friend's trouble and tries to lend a hand by finding the monkey-masked youkai's master. It turns out that the master has fallen asleep due to the spells that Matoba placed on the forest. Eventually, the misunderstanding between Natsume and the monkey-masked youkai is resolved and all's well that ends well for our heroes.

Episode 3 is one of those one-episode stories that Natsume Yuujinchou often indulges in. I don't mind it. It's a nice change of pace. In this particular episode, Natsume encounters a very unusual youkai -- a hairball that looks really cute but is actually quite fierce. Through a series of unfortunate coincidences, however, Natsume gets into trouble with a powerful youkai whose name he had just returned. This youkai threatens to devour Natsume unless he can find and return its lost ring. It turns out that the ring is stuck to the hairball youkai that Natsume has saved. With help from Hinoe and co., Natsume stumbles into the lair of the hairball youkai just as they are preparing to migrate. The hairball youkai save Natsume from the powerful youkai that threatened him.

It seems that most of Natsume's youkai friends warn him against making friends with strange youkai. Yet time and time again, Natsume does the exact opposite of what they tell him. He's not being stubborn. He's just trying to be kind. I hope nothing bad happens to him, meddling with these dangerous youkai. My overall impression (because that would make it three episodes as of this blog), is that I think I am going to enjoy this season better than the last.